Pillow'd his death-like forehead; then she wrung

His dewy curls, long drench'd by every storm; And watch'd with eagerness each throb that drew A sigh from his heaved bosom-and her's too.

And lifting him with care into the cave,

The gentle girl and her attendant,- -one
Young, yet her elder, and of brow less grave,
And more robust of figure-then begun
To kindle fire, and as the new flames gave

Light to the rocks that roof'd them, which the sun Had never seen, the maid, or whatsoe'er

She was, appear'd distinct, and tall, and fair.

Her brow was overhung with coins of gold,

That sparkled o'er the auburn of her hair, Her clustering hair, whose longer locks were roll'd In braids behind, and though her stature were Even of the highest for a female mould,

They nearly reach'd her heel; and in her air There was a something which bespoke command, As one who was a lady in the land.

Her hair, I said, was auburn; but her eyes

Were black as death-their lashes the same hue, Of downcast length, in whose silk shadow lies Deepest attraction, for when to the view Forth from its raven fringe the full glance flies,

Ne'er with such force the swiftest arrow flew ; 'Tis as the snake late coil'd, who pours his length, And hurls at once his venom and his strength.

Her brow was white and low, her cheek's pure die, Like twilight rosy still with the set sun;

Short upper lip-sweet lips! that make us sigh
Ever to have seen such; for she was one
Fit for the model of a statuary:

(A race of mere impostors, when all's doneI've seen much finer women, ripe and real, Than all the nonsense of their stone ideal.)

I'll tell you why I say so, for 'tis just

One should not rail without a decent cause,There was an Irish lady, to whose bust

I ne'er saw justice done, and yet she was A frequent model; and if e'er she must

Yield to stern Time and Nature's wrinkling laws, They will destroy a face which mortal thought Ne'er compass'd, nor less mortal chisel wrought.

And such was she, the lady of the cave;

Her dress was very different from the Spanish, Simple, and yet of colours not so grave:

For, as you know, the Spanish women banish Bright hues when out of doors, and yet, while wave Around them (what I hope will never vanish) The basquina and the mantilla, they

Seem at the same time mystical and gay.

But with our damsel this was not the case:
Her dress was many-colour'd, finely spun ;
Her locks curl'd negligently round her face,
But through them gold and gems profusely shone;
Her girdle sparkled, and the richest lace

Flow'd in her veil, and many a precious stone Flash'd on her little hand; but, what was shocking, Her small snow feet had slippers, but no stocking.

And forth they wandered, her sire being gone,
As I have said, upon an expedition;
And mother, brother, guardian, she had none,
Save Zoe, who, although with due precision
She waited on her lady with the sun,

Thought daily service was her only mission,
Bringing warm water, wreathing her long tresses,
And asking now and then for cast off dresses.

It was the cooling hour, just when the rounded
Red sun sinks down behind the azure hill,
Which then seems as if the whole earth it bounded,
Circling all nature, hush'd, and dim, and still,
With the far mountain-crescent half surrounded
On one side, and the deep sea calm and chill
Upon the other, and the rosy sky,

With one star sparkling through it like an eye.

And thus they wander'd forth, and hand in hand,
Over the shining pebbles and the shells,
Glided along the smooth and harden'd sand,

And in the worn and wild receptacles

Work'd by the storms, yet work'd as it were plann'd,
In hollow halls, with sparry roofs and cells,
They turn'd to rest; and, each clasp'd by an arm,
Yielded to the deep twilight's purple charm.

They look'd up to the sky, whose floating glow
Spread like a rosy ocean, vast and bright;
They gazed upon the glittering sea below,

Whence the broad moon rose circling into sight; They heard the wave's splash, and the wind so low, And saw each other's dark eyes darting light

Into each other-and, beholding this,

Their lips drew near, and clung into a kiss;

A long, long kiss, a kiss of youth, and love,
And beauty, all concentrating like rays
Into one focus, kindled from above;

Such kisses as belong to early days.

They were alone, but not alone as they
Who shut in chambers think it loneliness;
The silent ocean, and the star-light bay,

The twilight glow, which momently grew less,
The voiceless sands, and dropping caves, that lay
Around them, made them to each other press,
As if there were no life beneath the sky
Save theirs, and that their life could never die.

Haidee was Nature's bride, and knew not this:

Haidee was Passion's child, born where the sun
Showers triple light, and scorches even the kiss
Of his gazelle-eyed daughters; she was one
Made but to love, to feel that she was his

Who was her chosen: what was said or done
Elsewhere was nothing-she had nought to fear,
Hope, care, nor love beyond, her heart beat here.

And now 'twas done on the lone shore were plighted
Their hearts: the stars, their nuptial torches, shed
Beauty upon the beautiful they lighted;

Ocean their witness, and the cave their bed,
By their own feelings hallow'd and united,

Their priest was Solitude, and they were wed: And they were happy, for to their young eyes Each was an angel, and earth paradise.

Don Juan.

THE STORM.

Barry Cornwall.

THERE was a tempest brooding in the air,
Far in the west. Above the skies were fair,
And the sun seem'd to go in glory down:
One small black cloud, (one only) like a crown,
Touch'd his descending disc, and rested there;
Slow then it came along, to the great wind
Rebellious, and (although it blew and blew)
Came on increasing, and across the blue
Spread its dark shape, and left the sun behind.
The day-light sunk, and the winds wail'd about

The barque wherein the luckless couple lay,
And from the distant cloud came scattering out
Rivers of fire: it seem'd as though the day
Had burst from out the billows far away.

No pilot had they their small boat to steer
Aside the rocks, no sea-worn mariner

Who knew each creek and bay and sheltering steep,

And all the many dangers of the deep.
They fled for life, (for happiness is life)
And met the tempest in his hour of strife,
Abroad upon the waters: they were driven
Against him by the angry waves of heaven;
And all around, the clouds, the air, the sea,
Rose from unnatural, dead tranquillity,
And came to battle with their legions: hail

Shot shattering down, and thunders roar'd aloud,
And the wild lightning from his dripping shroud
Unbound his arrowy pinions blue and pale,
And darted through the heavens: below, the gale